If there is anything that stands between me and a wholly local food existence it is undoubtedly my love of dining out — especially in small, authentic, ethnic atmospheres. That and guacamole. Unfortunately, Michigan weather is not terribly conducive to the growing of avocados.

There is something about walking into a family-run food establishment and being recognized by the person behind the counter; about them knowing your favorite dishes, your family and that you are interested not just in lunch but their life. It is something that feeds not just the body but the soul. And occasionally I find sacrificing some fossil fuel for that satisfaction is entirely worthwhile.

When I first happened across East & West Gourmet Afghan Food, a company that you can find both on Foodzie and on their personal website online, my heart skipped a little beat. Both excited to have found such an awesome product — one not available, to my knowledge, locally — and a bit saddened not to live near enough to meet the staff in person I jotted down their information to share here later. A few weeks ago, when I decided the last week of each month here should be dedicated to the discovery of one cool new producer I knew they had to be the first.

East and West Gourmet Afghan Food is the story of an Afghan woman and her family’s struggle in the search for a better life. Supported by her husband and eldest son they immigrated to the US and founded East and West Gourmet Food.

Originally the companies signature Bolani — a traditional Afghan flatbread stuffed with spinach, potato, pumpkin or lentil filling — was found only in San Francisco Bay area farm markets, but through word of mouth and excellent customer service has grown exponentially in just over five years worth of business.

Billal Sidiq is an “Ambassador of Love” in most of the San Francisco Bay Area’s Farmers’ Markets and even beyond. He represents his company with an inviting face, running mouth, and hands full of samples. Today East and West participates in up to 100 farmers’ markets every week. The product is now also found in Whole Foods markets and Andronico’s.

Relatively inexpensive, packed with nutrients, low in calories and carbohydrates, East & West’s Bolani has been getting rave reviews from foodies around the country. If you happen to try them out, let me know what you think!

Not too long ago we added swine — American Guinea Hogs, an endangered heritage breed to be exact — to our farm family. It didn’t take any time at all for us to fall completely and utterly head over heels for the animals themselves, but I’d be remiss not to mention that we’ve been avid fans of pig-derived products for quite some time before their arrival — and I’m not talking football.

It’s amazing the number of marinades and rubs that pair perfectly with a good pork chop, or the ways in which a slow-cooked pork roast can be used. I’m particularly fond of slathering them in fruit flavors — apple, raspberry, mango — and adding a heavy dose of spice — jerk, chili, cracked pepper. And the meals from which those combinations can be made are endless; pork tacos, pork sausages tossed with pasta and grilled vegetables, white pork chili, bean soup.

Above and beyond all that however, is bacon. In sandwiches, crumbled on greens, chopped and added to a favorite potato or pasta salad recipe, with chocolate — yes, chocolate — bacon is heaven on earth as far as I’m concerned. Of course anything that compliments tomatoes and mayo on two pieces of toasted sourdough is above and beyond good with me so this is of no surprise. And it’s with that love in mind that I can spend copious amounts of time browsing the internet for bacon in all its glorious forms.

One of the most tantalizing of those products I’ve found to date has to be Skillet Street Food’s Bacon Jam on Foodzie (Pictured at top). Here’s what Real Simple magazine had to say about it:

This savory blend of bacon, onions, spices, and balsamic vinegar is perfect for your pork-loving oinkle. Spread on grilled cheese, burgers, and toast.

Vibrant Flavor‘s Maple Bacon Pretzels and The Red Head’s Bacon Peanut Brittle (pictured second and third in this post, respectively) come in a close second and both are also Foodzie products.

Do you have a favorite bacon product, flavor combination or recipe? Share it in the comments!

I love a good lamb gyro perhaps as much as anyone can love any food. Ever. In the world. But I also have a soft spot for lambs. I cannot resist their particular brand of cute. So much so, in fact, they are the only livestock I have been reluctant to try my hand at raising for meat myself. I simply cannot say with any sort of confidence whatsoever that processing day would be even the least bit tolerable. And since tolerable is the best any processing day can ever be, I’ve yet to take the plunge.

Luckily, others do not harbor my biases and sheep farms are anything but scarce in most of the United States. And though the traditional holiday for lamb eating may have already passed, a good rack of lamb is a celebration in and of itself fit for any time of year.

In fact, there is an often unforeseen bonus in buying lambs after the Easter holiday has passed — especially if you’re buying a whole or half lamb — ethnic markets for lamb are strongest just before Easter and demand for a smaller carcass there drives down the size of lambs sold around that time of year. After Easter has passed lambs are often grown out longer, making for a larger end product; a bonus if you’re feeding a family of four or more as am I.

In an ideal world we’d all buy our lambs — whether we’re looking for wholes, halves, racks, legs, chops, roasts or a combination of all of the above — from the farm down the road, and we literally have a sheep farm down the road here, but not everyone is so lucky. To find fresh, local lamb you can search Local Harvest for sheep farms near you, but if that fails you can also buy lamb online. Upper Dry Creek Ranch, a family owned farm in Western Oregon, offers their lamb products on Foodzie. That’s a picture of their loin chops above.

And as long as you’re at it, don’t forget the toppings, rubs and marinades. And don’t be afraid to think outside the box, the Chipotle Pepper Jam by Uncle Berch’s Foods, also via Foodzie, is reportedly a great accompaniment.

There are over two-hundred tomato seedlings living out their days in seed trays on my kitchen counter. The fruit of every single one of them is intended for consumption by myself, my family; no one else. I may have gone a little overboard. But we love — and I do mean love — tomatoes.

It’s no surprise then, if a producer wants to catch my eye all they have to do is market something inventive, something tomato-ey. Katchkie Farm of Kinderhook, New York did just that. And from there I fell further and further in love.

Katchkie Farm doesn’t just sell Tomato Jam — a product that they report has a little kick, but goes down smooth thanks to the included ginger and cayenne pepper — from their Foodzie Shop. Owned by Great Performances, a New York City company famous for its local catering and cafe menus, Katchkie Farm also brings their local, organic products to consumers in the NYC area via Farmer’s Markets in the city throughout the year. Plus, they offer weekly and bi-weekly CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares to families in the Tribeca and surrounding communities; shares that not only include their own vegetables but also fruit sourced from other local growers for a round, family diet.

And you know, if we stopped there Katchkie Farm may be in a class with so many others — small farms and producers who are all striving for the same goals and functioning on the same mission; good honest and important goals — but they’ve taken it a step further, thoroughly earning their place in the Try Handmade hall of fame. Katchkie Farm is home to The Sylvia Center; a garden-to-table program that connects kids with the source of their food and empowers them to make healthful decisions in fueling their bodies. In my opinion, there is no work more important.

I was born and raised in the north. Michigan, to be exact. I’m still there, but remain convinced that the whole thing has been an epic cosmic mistake — or a higher power’s sick joke. I don’t take cold well and while Michigan is by far warmer than some places it’s also colder than far too many for my liking.

It’s not the being in the cold that really gets to me, I can dress in layers, but warming up afterwards I have always found nearly impossible without all the right tools for the job: tall, wool socks; a cozy, fleece blanket; a favorite canine friend and hearty, heavy fare.

Usually the holiday season gets me through until this time of year. The hustle and bustle, the family and friends, the sheer business of the season makes everything seem warmer. By the time mid-January sets in however, I start to get antsy; I start to get cold. The days, while they do start to get longer, seem exponentially so in a dragging, dreary, bone-chilling way.

Reluctant to stay in too much lest I fall victim to the seasonal mood disorder that so likes to grab hold of people this time of year, braving the cold becomes an avenue of defiance; a figurative middle-finger in Mother Nature’s direction. After so gesturing however, the evenings must be spent under the blankets, cuddled up in a fight against the persistent, miserable shivering that only the best winter foods and loyalest furry companions can kick.

The best of those nights are the ones on which the house is filled with the aroma of a heavy winter meal when I walk through the door. A juicy venison roast with potatoes, carrots and onions in the slow cooker, a pot of chili simmering on the stove top courtesy my thoughtful husband, a loaf of whole wheat bread in a bread maker that was set to be done just in time; all are heaven on earth for me during the coldest winter days.

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